I had this post scheduled for January 1st, but realized I would be out of town...and I was just a little too excited to wait any longer!

You may have noticed something different...

A new name, a new design.

When I started this blogging/TpT journey July 2013, I really didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if anyone would even care about what I had to say. I went with a neutral blog URL, MissJohnstonsRoom.blogspot.com, but titled my blog The Journey of a Beginning Teacher, as I started my career in 2013. Now, I knew I would change my name, but I didn't know when and I didn't know what to.

Then, after completing my 1st full year of teaching and on the verge of starting my 3rd school year, I decided that I wanted to change my name to...Thriving in 3rd. I researched and researched and didn't find any blog or TpT store that had been updated within the last year or that had any followers, so I assumed someone started it...but then left it. So, I decided to change my blog, Facebook, and Twitter. I didn't change my instragram name, because at the time I was still a private user and it was a personal account. Then as things grew, I realized that my instragram account was primarily teaching related anyways, so I made it public. Shortly after that, I got a notification that someone using the name thrivinginthird started following me. I JUST ABOUT DIED! AHH! This whole time I thought I had done my research well enough...I did not. I felt so bad about having the same name.

So, since then I've been thinking about what my new (and LAST) name ever was going to be. It needed to be grade neutral. It needed to be ME. It needed to be something that I was going to keep forever and ever.

I'm getting married in June and it saddens me a bit that my kiddos won't get to call me Miss J anymore. Well, I'm sure previous students will, because that's a hard adjustment, but my future students will call me Mrs. Paull. My blog url is missjohnstonsroom {and I don't want to relink everything associated with it}...I will forever in my heart be Miss Johnston....I'm on this educational journey that who knows will lead to next and that's why I originally titled my blog Journey of a Beginning Teacher.

BOOM. Miss Johnston's Journey....with the tagline Currently: Thriving in 3rd. IF I ever change grades, I can change that thriving in 3rd to something catchy for that grade.

I've been looking for an excuse to revamp my blog, because my old design was when I was really starting to dabble in designs. Since then, I've learned a whole lot (fiddling with code in the wee hours of the morning, because I'm self taught) and I wanted to make mine over. This was the perfect excuse to redesign MY blog.

I've also changed my Instagram username to MissJohnstonsJourney to reflect my final blog name change. And so people don't get mixed up, because all of my usernames now have Miss Johnston in them.

Well, let's celebrate this occasion with a giveaway with not one, but two prizes! :)

Wow. I can't believe 2014 is almost over. This year went fast!
To reflect on this year, I'm linking up with 3 fab bloggers for

I got this quote tattooed when I was 18. When I was 17, I got really sick with double mycoplasma pneumonia and spent 16 days hospitalized. It was not fun. I wish I had KG fonts in 2008!

This scarf. Soooo cozy.

I bawled like a baby in the book and movie.
LOVE LOVE LOVE.
I live in a rather small city, but this place has the best Italian.

Blog Designing.

Met so many fabulous bloggers and it's actually pretty relaxing for me.
This is my favorite design so far.

Speaking of design...you may wanna stop by January 1st to see a huge makeover on this blog. *hint, hint*

A student got me this at the end of the school year last year. Little did I know that a few days later, I would be attending her father's visitation. Her father was tragically murdered. I walked up to that sweet little girl and without saying a word, she leaped into my arms wept on my shoulder. I cried with her and told her that I was so so sorry. That moment solidified the idea I've always had about being an educator. It's so much more than teaching them math and reading. That little girl now attends a different school this year and I think of her often.

This strategy has helped my students with word problems SO much!This one. It felt good to get what had been weighing on my mind
Finishing my mentoring program! I started my career January of 2013, and finished my district's mentoring program earlier this month. Applying for my standard license when we go back to school!
Well, that's super hard. How about a few favorites? :)

In case you're new to my blog, and/or don't follow me on Instagram. This happened on July 23 :)

To set a better schedule for myself. Only spend so much time on school, cheer, and TpT/Blog Design. Spend more time with my fiance and family
Inspire.